Management perception and marketing strategy in export performance : A comparative analysis in Italian and Spanish textile‐clothing sector (part 2)

Purpose – This is the second of two papers which examine the Italian and Spanish textile‐clothing sector. The purpose of this paper is to focuse on the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach – In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analysed are respectively geographical zones with a great tradition in textile‐clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). Findings – It was found that international experience is the main factor in the export performance for both cases but investment in R&D and export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. Research limitations/implications – The sample is formed basically from small textile‐clothing business (with less than 500 employees). Originality/value – The paper is of value in that it provides a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, including characteristics of the business, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience.